Are we identified by small farm communities like Ravenna and Holton or by the urban core of Muskegon, Muskegon Heights and the surrounding suburbs? Does the resort area of White Lake in northern Muskegon County best represent the Muskegon brand?

Playing off the "Love Muskegon" logo, those wanting to go through a community perception and story telling process have come up with this logo to promote the effort.Contributed

A powerful brand can draw tourists, new residents and job creators to take a community to new levels. One could argue that Grand Rapids brand is on the rise becoming a medical destination, creating a vibrant downtown and generating a buzz with such events as ArtPrize.

But what about Muskegon? Many in the community think our “brand” is tied directly to our water resources: Lake Michigan along with Muskegon and White lakes and their rivers.

Others would argue that water or beaches is a brand that does not distinguish Muskegon from its neighbor shoreline communities. They want to find out what makes Muskegon unique and a desirable place to work, live and play.

That’s what a branding project would be all about, telling the Muskegon County’s story and developing a marketing plan to alert the outside world.

So just what is Muskegon’s “brand”? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.

But first, take a short poll to clarify your thoughts, sharing them with other MLive readers. Those who gathered to discuss a possible year-long community branding project earlier this week participated in a short survey. Below are three of the questions asked at the branding project informational meeting:

The group of more than 60 community leaders and interested citizens found: Recreational opportunities (54 percent) the reason they live in Muskegon County; Lake Michigan (35 percent) resonates the most when thinking about Muskegon County; and increased vibrancy of the downtowns (50 percent) as the most important factor in improving the county’s image.